Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-01-01
THE MARRIAGE MARKET.
rHR CLERE OF TIRE CuUsr Issued
Jo6s LICENSES r8R rAsr YsAR
The License Law sent 900 Lancaster County
Couples to New Jersey During the Year
1880. whereby tho Cterk Was
Cheated ons Of hts Zee.

al have been close observer Ci the mar.
riage columns of the Philadelphia papers
during the past year" said a bachelor member
of the Lancaster bar to representative OF
the 1STELLiaENcER on Friday, The re-
porter asked whether he was endeavoring to
find the most popular preacher to tie the
siiken cord at some future day, and the law.
yers answer was that curiosity had led him
to look at that column, particularly since the
marriage license law went into effect In
Pennsylvania. He wanted 10 see whether
the effec, OF The law would be as predicted
that Is Pennsylvania couples to avoid the
annoyance Of answering the questions neces
sary TO procure . marriage license would
cross over TO Jersey and be married, where a
license wss not required. The result Of
what daily saw In the papers" he said, ''sst-
isfied me that the olergymen Of Camden have
had bonanza In the marriage business s',--s
October, 1855, when the marriage license law
went into effect in Psansylva The marriage
notices show That Philadelphia and the east.
ern counties OF the state furnish nearly all
the material in the marriage line for the Jer.
sey ministers." He was asked whether he
had noted the number of Lancaster people
who had been welded In Camden, and he
said he had not counted the number, but be-
lisved that at least three hundred Lancaster
couples had been made either happy or mis-
ersble In that city.
oProsIrIoN DYING OUT,
From a conversation had with the clerk OF
the orphans court, who deals ont the mar.
risge licenses, II was learned that the OpPosi-
ton TO applying for licenses Ia gradually
DYING cut, and he believes that the next
year the number OF couples who will 60 10
Camden to avoid getting license WILL be
much smaller than the number who cheated
him out of his fees this year.
The license business was fairly active dur.
ing the year ending on Friday, and greater
number OF licenses were Issued by him than
he expected. The clerk oo!gingly handed
over his record books for examination, and
pleasant hour or two was spent IN looking
over the answers 10 the several questions
propouuded. The practice during The first
few months that the law was IN ereC. was
for the clerk TO ask the applicant whether he
WAS over Fl years and the same question as
to the lady he Intended TO wed. That rule
was changed about the beginning Of the year
and now the ages OF the contracting PARTIES
are given.
SOME PECULIAR APPLICATIONS,
The first applicant on January !, lsS5, was
a widower OF As, and he took for his LIES
partner a maiden lady OF 10. The Oldest sp-
plicant during the year was q resident OF the
Eighth ward, who gave his age a. IS. He
welded lady some years his Junior. The
youngest applicant was miss Of IS, who
welded a young man Of -. The most re
marksble application on record during the
year was that OF a Frenchman OF S5 who
had never been married. His choice was a
widow Of 63. Just think Of it When he
reaches the age OF 40 she will be 70, aud
when he is in the prime of life at co. she
will have reached the age Of tour score,
Nine-tenths of the applicants are between
the ages OF Il and 80. The number between
45 and 50 is small Licenses were issued 10
seven Quaker couples during the year, In
number Of cases the marriage certificates
have not been returned to the clerk, aud
the supposition is that the marriage, for
which the license was issued did not take
place. marriage license issued on July IS,
was only returned on Wednesday, and the
explanation Of the clergyman was that he
had mtslsid it
PLEASE DATE IT BGCE,
The clerk reports many funny incidents in
connection with the issuing Of licenses a
few weeks ago young msn applied for a
license. When the clerk was filling In the
date, the applicant asked him to do personal
favor. of can Twill, said the clerk. Then
please date that license back 70 July" The
clerk told him he would not do that and the
duce the clerk TO grant his request.
The clerk finally suggested that be
have his marriage certificate written by
some one who did not know him and have
whatever date put in he choose, This struck
the young man as good idea. he took his
license and was married the same day. But
bis marriage license don't show COrrecll =
the date OF the event The whole number OF
licences issued during the year was ,O6s
As will be seen G. the following figures No.
vember was the favorite month, With July
| showing the smallest number OF Licenses